A Heart Encased In Ice
by Lady Azuha
Summary: Tired, pained and weary, Miku's immortal spirit roams freely in the streets of New York, U.S.A. Completely incapable of showing anything other than negative emotions, she yearns to make her pain go away, to end her unending life that came to be right after she traded in her heart for a spell that would cure her heartbreak, hundreds of years ago. Will she ever be saved...?
1. Prologue

_A heart encased in ice..._

_Wouldn't that be nice ?_

_A freezing protection against everything..._

_Something to protect yourself from heartbreak..._

_But is it worth it ?_

_Is it worth losing all these emotions to live a life without fear, pain... or happiness... and love ?_

Miku Hatsune was very much alive, once. It was very, very long ago, but she used to be like you and me; alive. If she had known that she would have lost everything, only to end up like she is now, she would never have accepted the trade. Her life is miserable now. The tealette may have lived for hundreds of years, still, what was it worth to have all the time in the world if she couldn't feel anything... ? Now, she roams around the city, dull, lifeless teal eyes glancing around these sights she had seen thousands of times. She could only sit and watch as time flew by, none of those who she used to walk amongst noticing her at all. She merely lives what was left of her immortal life... as if there was nothing she ever cared for in this world.

_A heart of ice, or an ice-cold heart ?_

_Could it be that I've been able to feel, long ago ?_

_I've forgotten what it's like to be sad._

_I've forgotten what it's like to be happy._

_Could there still be hope for me?_

_Could it be that someone could save me...?  
_


	2. Chapter 1: Frozen Over

_Freezing._

Everything was covered in a thick layer of translucid ice; shimmering, slippery ice. The rain had turned to hail in the middle of the night, and all those people who had dared to step out of their appartments to go somewhere had regretted it. All this ice made it difficult to even stand around on the corner of the streets, and the now lightly falling snow wasn't making the situation better. It just made it worse for everyone. Everyone, except Miku.

She was used to the cold. To the harshness of strong winters. She lived through hundreds of these, and it surely wasn't going to be her last one. She knew it, and every single time the cold season came around, she would give a sigh, mutter something about these 'damned winters' and keep walking like she was going somewhere. But the blue-haired female knew better. Walking up and down the streets and avenues of New York City for hundreds of years, without counting the ones she spent going around the world on trips and vacations of all kinds, was just something she did out of habit. She didn't take 'power walks' like some men and women did. She didn't have any pets to take outside or anything. She just didn't have anywhere else to go.

Her dull blue eyes simply laid themselves upon every single detail her acute sight had to offer her. Details she had seen many more times than she'd be able to count. It was almost something familiar, yet she always saw something different about these things, these objects, these people that ran up and down the crowded streets of the busy city. She was an observant young woman, that's for sure, but people never noticed this. No one ever noticed _her_.

Miku was one of these girls no one actually notices. But it wasn't because she wasn't pretty enough, or because she dressed in a funny way. It wasn't because she wasn't popular or anything. It was because she had been here for far too long.

You see, New York's inhabitants had grown accustomed to the never-aging young girl to the point where she has become a simple being, merely another person people could ignore and go on with their lives without a care in the world for her. They all knew about her, yet some thought of her as merely a legend. She had almost become a ghost to human society, barely considered as one of theirs as it is. But she has been through worse. Much worse indeed.

A heavy sigh came out in a puff of steam as she set one foot in front of the other, still walking about the busy streets of New York. The young girl seemed out of place, odd; we could definitely see that she wasn't one from this land, yet she still fitted in despite the feeling of her not belonging here. Her beautiful teal hair swayed lightly in the winter breeze as she walked, and she looked absolutely stunning in that white coat of hers. There was something about her that made people uneasy, and that was why they tried to avoid her as much as they could; even the teens with a true sense of adventure kept their distances from her. She was terribly lonely, but, even if she wanted to, she would never feel that way, she could only acknowledge that fact.

_Why did I even agree to that stupid trade?_ she miserably thought.

Ah yes. _The trade. _It was something she could not forget, not for even a minute of her miserable, unending life. Miku had made that deal with the witch only to gain a spell to cure her heartbreak... but she got the entire package along with it. In order to forget about the pain a particular event caused in her past life, the tealette had to give up her heart to the witch that lived here, when the city was merely a village in the beginning of the thirteen British colonies. Not literally, of course, it was more of... the memories, those filled with love that Miku would have to give. Ready to do anything to rid herself of this pain, she did. All the memories of moments passed with him were gone in a flash, as if they had never happened. But, in the meantime, the witch took advantage of the situation. She took away all of Miku's emotions, including happiness, sorrow, pain... heartbreak... and made her heart freeze over. This caused the girl to turn into one of those we could call the Eternals, or the Immortals. And she has lived ever since.

She shook her head to rid herself of those obsessing thoughts.

She had to be strong, she had to keep going. Even if she did try to find ways to end this unending life of hers, she knew nothing would do, because she did try before; A knife through the heart, a bullet in her mouth, downing an entire bottle of pills and sitting in the tub to wait for death to come and greet her. Nothing had worked. And she didn't know how to return to the state she was in before all of this witchcraft incident happened. So, she did the best she could and continued on with her life.

On the corner of the street, the young girl decided to stop. She didn't feel tired, nor was she hurt; it just seemed like she had walked enough for the time being. She silently and wordlessly crossed the avenue through the rush of business men and women who were walking across the paved street, phone in hand, only to make it across safe and sound. She directed her feet in a precise direction, and entered a small coffee shop not too long after. A small bell rung as she stepped in, and she was greeted by a bright, familiar smile she got used to seeing every morning.

"Morning Miku!" she heard.

As she approached the stools at the counter, the blue-haired eternal nodded and said, "Hey Meiko. Still working here?"

The brunette snorted, reaching for a towel so she could dry off a crystal-like glass she had just washed. "Of course! Their customers would never come back if the amazing me wasn't here to help!"

It was Miku's turn to snort at Meiko's self-praise, but she managed to force an unwanted smile as she shook her head. "Yeah, sure."

Meiko has always been like this. Sure, she was pretty self-confident, drank a lot of sake when she could afford some, but she was a kind and generous person at heart. She was one of the first of this time to guess about Miku being an immortal, since she had seen her many times before as a kid - and because she hadn't changed a bit. But that didn't change that she saw her as a friend, no matter how cold and distant Miku could be. A true friend she was, indeed.

"So, you want the usual?" she asked, snapping Miku out of the daydream she sinking in.

"... uh... Sure, why not," she answered.

Meiko's smile widened as she stepped towards the kitchen to prepare said 'usual', which consisted of a blueberry and strawberry muffin, with a cup of Earl Grey tea, mixed with some milk and a little bit of maple syrup. It can sound strange, but it's actually very good. Miku came here almost every morning, at the same time, and would always get the same thing. She didn't know many people there beside Meiko, but she tried to keep to that one friendship for the moment. However, before Meiko could return this time, the bell chimed. It wasn't very common that people would come in straight after the tealette, and they would normally wait for her to leave before pouring in like madmen, but this was, indeed, unusual. the young girl turned her head slightly, only to see a bright blonde puff of spiky hair zoom into view. The boy sat down one stool to her right, and she eyed him curiously as he seemed to wait for something - or someone, rather - to step out of the kitchen. That's precisely when Meiko decided to come back.

"Here you- Len!" she said, cutting herself off, "It's nice to see you here this early in the morning! I never thought you'd ever get up this early," she teased.

The blonde smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, well, today's my first day in this new school my parents decided to enroll me in, so I had to wake up earlier than I usually do."

The brunette behind the counter handed Miku her order, giggling. "Well, I guess this must be important to you, since you actually _did _wake up."

"Yeah, it is!"

They kept talking like that, Miku just sitting there and eavesdropping on their entire conversation... that is, until Meiko decided to introduce her to this Len person.

"Hey Len! I don't think you've met my friend yet. Let me introduce you two!"

She reached across the counter and placed a hand on the tealette's shoulder, saying, "Len, this is Miku Hatsune." She then did the same to Len, "Miku, this is Len Kagamine."

Both of them shook hands, although the look on Miku's face made it seem like she was uninterested. It wasn't on purpose. It was just... there.

"Hi," they said at the same time, which made Meiko burst out laughing.

"It's nice to meet you, Miku," Len said with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you too, Len," the young girl answered with a forced smile gracing her lips.

As they started talking, Meiko left them to go take care of some other customers of the sweet and quiet coffee shop. Miku guessed she wanted them to get to know each other, so she tried her best to make things interesting for the boy. Well, it couldn't hurt to get to know another person, right?

...

**Hey! :D**

**I hope you guys like this until now! I know, it's a bit long for a first chapter. Honestly, I thought it was a long one to write, so I can understand if you thought it was a bit of a hard one to read. At least you get to know my version of an immortal Miku better!**

**Anyhow! I felt the need to ask of you guys to post some reviews if possible! They are very appreciated, and they help me make this story go forward and help me understand what you guys like and/or dislike about the way I write, the story in general or plain details about the entire thing. **

**Thanks!**

**~Azuha **


	3. Chapter 2: A Thought For You

_He was interesting alright._

The way he spoke was hypnotizing. If Miku would have been a normal teenage girl like every other ones, she probably would have been drooling in her mind the moment he started talking. His voice was perfect; not too high nor to low, not too soft yet just loud enough to hear correctly. He never made any mistakes nor did he stutter; it was almost like Len Kagamine's voice was made to be as perfect as it could possibly be. She could hear the melodic tones and notes in his words, the way they rolled off his tongue. Being as old as almost three centuries, she had been alongside many people, and she could tell many things just by hearing a person's voice, his or her way of speaking. This is how she could tell that Len was a singer.

"Do you sing?" she had asked.

It was probably one of the most random questions she could ask in a situation like this; they had been talking about their favourite coffee for the past ten minutes, and before that, they were talking about random, everyday life things. The young boy's face seemed to light up when she asked, and a smile graced his pretty lips. This would have made Miku smile herself, maybe she would have melted on the inside. But she could feel none of the normal emotions a normal teenage girl would. Because of her heart.

"Well, I do, actually," he had answered. "I'm a singer in a group people call 'Vocaloid'. We aren't a really known group, but hey, popularity increases."

The girl had forced a smile. "That's nice."

He smiled back to her. Then came the rest of their conversation. As much as she would have liked to, she couldn't really enjoy this little talk. She seemed as cold as ever, her heart refusing to let her feel anything beside her neutrality. Meiko came back a few minutes later, having finished serving the other customers that had just come in for a coffee, too. A big grin played on her lips as she walked happily towards the newly made acquaintances.

"So, how are things for you two?" she asked.

"Everything's fine," Len said.

The brunette eyed them suspiciously before a brief smirk appeared on her face, disappearing as fast as it came. Neither Len nor Miku saw it. A quick sigh escaped Meiko's lips as she leaned on the counter, placing her elbow on the wooden surface as she placed her chin in the palm of her hand.

"God help me, I can't wait for my shift to be over."

This made Len stifle a laugh, which caused Miku to turn her dull, teal eyes towards him, seemingly curious. His own baby blue hues stared back for a moment. He couldn't help but to look for something in those eyes of hers. _She's so... mysterious..._ he thought to himself. _There's something about her that I just don't understand... her eyes seem to be so lifeless._

A fit of coughing cut him out of his thoughts.

"Earth to Len, I repeat, Earth to Len!" Meiko said, giggling as she mimicked the crackling sounds of a walkie-talkie. A small blush crept up to the boy's cheeks as he came to his senses, and both Meiko and Miku burst out laughing... although something was off about Miku's laugh.

"You should've seen your face, Len! Priceless!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever," he mumbled.

At that moment, when Meiko finally stopped laughing, Miku waved at her and got up, saying, "I have to go now. I'll surely be back tomorrow morning, as usual."

"Okay! Be safe," the brunette answered.

A small smile, a fake smile played on the tealette's lips as she took out her wallet and paid for her breakfast, then she turned to leave. As she walked towards the exit, she turned to look once more towards Len and Meiko, then turned back around and left. The blonde boy seemed endlessly curious about her, yet he wasn't about to say it out loud. Meiko seemed to notice his interest in the mysterious blue-haired girl.

"She isn't like any other girl, that's for sure," she merely stated, grabbing a new glass to dry it off with her towel.

Len simply stared at his friend for a moment. The young teen was one year older than he was, yet she could be so childish and wise at the same time. She had friends with bubbly personalities just like hers, but Miku? How did she even end up being friends with her? It didn't seem to fit, in his opinion, but he knew better than to question the brunette's choices. Last time he did, it didn't end well.

"How come she isn't like the others?" he asked, out of the blue, startling Meiko slightly. He had been quiet for the past five minutes, just enough time for the girl's ears to adjust to her friend's silence.

"Well..."

She seemed to be pondering something, but he couldn't tell what. She was actually wondering if she should tell him about her teal headed friend's condition. Would he believe her? Would he think she was insane?

"Meiko? I'm waiting."

The female shook her head. "Maybe you should just wait and see. Get to know her a little."

Len frowned. "I thought you would tell me."

"Oh, no. I'm not one to go around telling secrets that others entrusted me with," she answered with a smile. She then leaned on the counter after she set down the glass she had just finished drying, "Like I said. Get to know her a little. In time, she'll tell you."

He looked at her like he wasn't convinced at all.

"Oh please, Len! Have I ever been wrong?"

"Well, there's this time when-"

"DON'T!" she yelled, getting all the attention on the two of them for a moment as she had slammed her hand onto the boy's mouth to shut him up. When the customers went back to their conversations, she took her hand off, and Len rubbed his reddening skin, trying to soothe it from the slap Meiko had given him.

"_Don't talk about that in public,_" she hissed. "Okay, so I've been wrong once or twice, but trust me, Len. I know this girl. Make her trust you. She'll tell you everything you need to know in due time."

He nodded after pondering her words. He took out his wallet, paid Meiko for his meal, and left just like Miku had before. As much as he would have liked to find the tealette, he hadn't seen in what direction she had gone, so he decided to simply head on to school before he could run late. His thoughts were all inevitably linked to this mysterious girl he had met that morning. Why did she seem so different? Why didn't he find anything in those dull blue eyes, no light or feeling... why did they look so lifeless? It ate at him to be left in ignorance. He had to know more. He had to gain this girl's trust. He wanted to know her secrets, all these mysterious things she was hiding deep down in that seemingly inexistent heart of hers. But would she let him get that far?

And so, Len simply pushed all those thoughts away, locked them in the back of his head for the moment. He had to focus on school. Not on Miku. At least, for now.

...

**Hey! :D**

**It's me again! I simply wanted to thank you all for reading this fanfiction until now!**

**_Lau-chan-Miki-chi_****: I'm happy you like this! I really hope you can give me some more reviews about the next chapters if possible! Love ya **

**And a big thank you to those who decide to follow/favorite this story!**

**~Azuha**


	4. Chapter 3: Be Bold

_He was puzzled._

Even now that his classes were over, that it was almost five o'clock in the afternoon, he couldn't seem to take his thoughts off of this girl he met that morning. It was a strange new feeling to him, the entire thing about his thoughts being invaded by her dull cerulean eyes; he had never experienced such a thing. There was definitely something wrong about this Miku person, and, even if it would cost him a friendship with this girl, he was determined to find out all about the reason Meiko had told him she was different than the other girls.

As he left the school grounds, the blonde boy stopped dead in his tracks as he heard an almost too cheery voice call out to him.

"Len! Wait for me!"

_God help me, _he thought to himself as he frowned, turning around only to see Rin Kagamine, his twin sister, coming up to him.

It's not that Len didn't like his sister. No, he loved her (in a brotherly way, nothing more, nothing less), but she was _way _too clingy for his taste. Rin did have this issue about people leaving her alone, or simply being alone, period. That's why she liked to be very close to her friends and family, by fear they would leave her... just like their mother had done when they were merely preschoolers.

"You know, Len," she began as she slowed down to a walk by his side, inviting him to follow suit, "You could try to be a little nicer to people and wait for them when they scream your name. You looked like you were deaf for a minute!"

The male Kagamine twin cracked a small smile. He had never really paid attention to others, and the little amount of friends he had were the members of the group he sang with, which Rin was also part of, and Meiko was the only exception for the moment. They were all very different in personality, but none of them could begin to outshine the young man; he had a bright, warm personality, cheerful and outgoing, yet serious when needed. He tended to get his head up in the clouds very often, but he isn't always that distracted. Which was one of the traits he didn't share with his twin sister at all. Rin did share Len's warmth of character and his cheerfulness, but she could get very distracted easily and often. That's only one of the many differences that were observable on this pair of twins. And to say people thought twins were identical...

"Hello? Len, are you in there?" Rin said as she gently tapped her brother's head, hoping to get his attention back.

"Huh?" was the only thing her could say, surprised that someone dragged him back to reality. Rin burst out in laughter as she walked.

"You're face was priceless!" she said.

Len growled. It was, after all, the second time today that someone pointed out the fact he made a face when he was surprised.

...

The walk home had been short. Hearing Rin talking the entire time made his head ache badly, and he had only been more determined to reach home so he could drop himself onto his bed and sleep for a long, very long while. He was just so exhausted he could sleep for a few days. Once he had actually walked up the small pathway to the Kagamine residence, Len took out his keys and unlocked the door. Rin walked by him, opening the door cheerfully as she skipped her way to the kitchen, where their father was busy making supper. The female twin walked up to him with a smile gracing her lips.

"Hey dad!" she said.

"Rin, I see you made it home safely. Where's your brother?"

As she started to answer, Len simply walked across the room and stormed up the stairs to his room, not in the mood for talking. Like it was mentioned earlier, he was tired, and a first day in a new school establishment isn't always as relaxing as it could seem. His sister and their father exchanged worried looks; usually, Len would at least mutter an audible 'hello' before leaving them behind to find himself alone in his room. Not today, it seemed.

"Do you think he's okay...?"

Rin turned to her father. "I don't know, dad..."

...

The next morning, Len woke up earlier than he usually would, just like he had done yesterday. He wanted to go back to the coffee shop Meiko worked at, hoping that he would see that teal headed girl again. He didn't know why exactly he wanted to see her again. Or maybe it was something he was mistaking for a desire to meet this one tealette once more? He couldn't confirm what it was, but he couldn't help but feel connected to her somehow. So, just like he had done the day before, Len woke up early, got dressed, brushed his teeth, fixed his gravity defying hair in place, then made a mad dash for the coffee shop down the streets and avenues of good old New York. Once he made it in front of the small yet inviting place, he straightened his clothes out, dusted away some imaginary dirt from his sleeves, then stepped in with a bright smile on his face. As expected, Meiko was dressed in her work uniform and was tending to her customers. And, just as was said yesterday morning, said teal headed female sat at one of the stools of the counter, the same one she sat in last time. And he did the same, seating himself atop the stool he had sat on yesterday, stealing a glance toward the young woman, who stared back at him.

"Hi," he simply said.

"Hi, Len," she answered, bowing her head lightly as she said so.

For some reason, he felt his heart flutter. Even though that same poker face adorned her traits, this woman, he noticed, was beautiful. She didn't need any make-up to be pretty, she was of a natural beauty that could only outshine that of the most beautiful woman who would smear the foul stuff upon her face. Flawless skin, dull yet magnificent blue eyes, lips that could only be compared to those of an angel... She had everything to please anyone she would have set her sights on, yet she seemed to be disinterested in everything.

"So, uh... how are you doing?" he asked awkwardly, trying to avoid silence falling upon them both.

"I'm fine," she answered, "although things could be better..."

Miku had muttered that last part, so Len didn't quite catch that. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just... mumbling to myself... yeah."

A slight frown tugged at Len's lips. He didn't seem convinced, but they were still strangers after all, and he couldn't force the poor girl to tell him everything, anyway. He sighed. Luckily, Meiko strode over to them, her bright smile seemingly contagious as the tealette forced one to appear upon her own lips.

"Hey you two!" Meiko chimed, "You've been socializing I see~"

A small giggle came from the brunette. Both Len and Miku had to resist a sudden urge to facepalm. It seemed their friend was dead set on pointing out everything that was already too obvious.

"Anyways," she continued as she managed to stop her giggling fit, "what do you want for breakfast today?"

Len let Miku order first, then Meiko took note of what he wanted.

"Alright, be back in a flash!"

And she stormed off into the kitchen. We could hear her yelling directions at the chefs through the door.

Typical Meiko.

While Miku pondered whether or not she should talk to Meiko about being so loud and obnoxious all the time, Len was thinking about something else entirely. But, in the end, he decided to be bold and just ask.

"Hey, Miku...?"

She turned her head to him, humming in response.

"Would you mind meeting me in Central Park tonight, at seven?"

The young woman seemed to notice he was a little nervous. She thought it obvious he had never done this before, being so bold as to ask a woman to join him later in the evening. It was almost as if he was asking her out on a date, thought it was clearly not his intention to. It was more of a friendly outing.

"Hmm... no, I don't see why I would be bothered," she simply answered.

"Great," he said, releasing the breath he didn't notice he was holding. Meiko came back with their orders, and Len got up to leave. He glanced back at Miku from the coffee shop door, and said, "I'll see you at seven!"

As he left, Meiko looked down to Miku before smirking at her.

"Ooooh, I see someone's got herself a date~" she snickered, earning herself a punch on the shoulder, courtesy of Miku. "Ouch! I was joking!"

"Sure," the tealette huffed.

She left not long after Len did, leaving Meiko to tend to her new customers.

_It's about time she tried to make herself feel again... _the brunette thought to herself as she watched Miku's silhouette disappear in the crowd outside the coffee shop.

...

**Hey guys! :D**

**So, Miku's finally starting to try and be sociable with other people than Meiko, and Len asked her out on a [friendly] date!**

**Could this get any better? :3**

**Thanks to all the reviewers and followers of this fiction, love y'all to bits! **

**~ Azuha**


	5. Chapter 4: Two Friends In Central Park

**WARNING. Slight mentions of war conflict and mildly delicate subjects. **

**You have been warned.**

**...**

_The day had gone normally, just as it always did._

Miku had done everything she had to do today just as she did every other day. No one - except Meiko and Len - spoke to her. Speaking of Len, she couldn't help but wonder... why did he ask for her to join him later that night? She couldn't find anything too special about herself, and even if she did have anything to look forward to, how could she? Left emotionless by the trade she had done centuries ago, Miku had nothing left to feel. She could only remember what pain, sorrow, anger, coldness felt like. It was all she could ever show; a straight, stone-like face, with the occasional flicker of disinterest or slight anger that would sometimes sparkle dully in those cerulean eyes of hers. She never understood why that damned witch had tricked her, but she had her suspicions.

A sigh left her slightly chapped lips as she walked down the few blocks that still stood between her and Central Park. In this time of the year, she knew that the trees on the edge of the city's park would be decorated with beautiful, glowing lights that would shine like stars in a dark midnight sky, just like the ones she had seen so many times before. If she would have still had her emotions, she would be rather excited about this, albeit a bit nervous since she was supposed to meet Len there.

_Oh well_, she thought,_ I might as well make the best of what I have._

As she placed one foot before the other, silently making her way down the emptied streets of New York, she wondered, what would it be like to feel again? Of course, that was answer she couldn't answer for herself. It was kind of strange, even after so long a life, to try and imagine what living with emotions would be like. I guess it can't be helped, but for Miku, it was something she knew she wanted back. Even if she didn't feel that need, she acknowledged it. That's the only thing she could do about it.

"Miku!"

Her head perked up at the sound of this familiar voice calling her name. The tealette's eyes darted around for a minute, that is, until she saw a bright blur of a familiar yellowish blonde color looming into view. She instantly recognized this person's spiky hair, cerulean eyes and - might I add - attractive smile. She would have melted on the spot if she hadn't been cursed with this... thing that replaced her once beating heart.

"Hey Len," she merely answered, bowing her head slightly like she had done that same morning.

"Hi," he answered.

The two stood there awkwardly at first, until Len cleared his throat and asked, "So... will you follow me?"

The young girl's dull, seemingly lifeless eyes locked with his for a second before she cracked a small, false smile. It might have been a fake smile, but it had taken the young blonde's breath away nonetheless.

"Sure, why not. I agreed to accompany you here."

He smiled back at her, and he spun around in his heel, walking back towards the entrance to Central Park, Miku in tow.

...

They had walked for quite a while now, simply enjoying each other's company... if that is what you could call what Miku was trying to feel. She was making an effort to show as much emotion as possible, albeit it was much more difficult than she had anticipated. After all, an emotionless, eternal being like her couldn't actually have feelings. That's why she was struggling to keep up the act. On the other hand, Len had gotten more out of her than he had originally planned. He learned that Miku lived alone in a small apartment, along with a small dog named Hachune. She was the youngest of a family of two children, although she was orphaned at the age of thirteen, her parents dying in a fire that had devastated their home. Her older brother was killed in a war conflict. Len assumed it was because he had been sent to Afghanistan, but he didn't dare to ask her. She had been sent to live with her uncle and her aunt in New York, but had moved out just as she had reached the age of sixteen to study in a prestigious high school.

But one thing about all this disturbed him. Miku had spoken about this like she had no care in the world for any of these things. It seemed to be like her, but after a while, when she mentioned her parents dying in a burning house and her brother killed in action back in Afghanistan, he would've expected at least a small reaction from her. But nothing came. It wasn't normal for a person to say such things without expressing something... right?

"So yeah... that's about what you have to know about my life..." she had said. "What about you, Len? Anything I should know about you?"

"Well..." he started.

He went on and told her about his life. How his mother had left him and his twin sister when they were merely toddlers. How his sister ended up traumatized by her sudden disappearance, and how his father had gotten almost two or three jobs at a time to be able to take care of the two. How he grew up without his mother had been hard, that he and his sister had been teased in school because they didn't have both their parents to take care of them. How he had changed schools several times to try and make the bullying stop, only making it worse. But he also told her about how his life had, almost like magic, literally taken a turn for the better a few years back. He had been accepted in a prestigious school for gifted musicians. That's when he and his sister had first encountered the group he had spoken of on their very first encounter, back in the coffee shop Meiko worked in.

"Did you know Meiko actually is a member of Vocaloid?" he asked.

Miku seemed surprised. "Nope, I didn't. Wow, I'd never think you could teach me something new about this girl," she replied, a small smile dawning on her lips. Len burst out in a fit of laughter that rang like pretty bells in the teal headed girl's ears.

"I didn't think I could teach you something new about that girl."

As they kept walking through the wintery scene of Central Park, Len kept on telling her about his life. He had met his best friends through the Vocaloid group, and somehow, they came to be like a second family.

"Just for laughs, we call Meiko 'Mom' and her boyfriend, Kaito, 'dad'. All of the others are their so called 'children'. It was awkward at first, but then it started having a nice ring to it," he admitted, smiling sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "We're like the family I never had..."

He looked down to the soft earth beneath his feet as the two walked. Miku had locked her teal eyes onto his frail frame, a sad look on her face. She could only imagine what it was like to live with only one parent, with the other right by your side, reminding you every day that you had another one, too. Since she had lived without both her parents and her brother for so long, in truth, she couldn't really say she understood. But a part of it was one she could relate to.

"That's nice... I wish I had friends like that," she said as her breath came out into a puff of white steam. "I never had the ideal family either. They were always gone, anyway, so when the house burnt down and my brother died, I can't say I was sad. It did make me feel alone, that I'll admit, but saying I was sad is something that just wouldn't be true."

In fact, she had never been very close to her parents. As she said, they were always gone, working an entire day only to come back with maybe one or two dollars to live on for the day. Back in the beginning of the United States as we know them today, the salaries were so low that what they earned back then wouldn't even suffice to buy a mint in a dollar store. The business men were just that cheap. And her brother? Heh, Mikuo had been away for the longest part of her life. She couldn't even remember what he looked like, aside the teal hair and cerulean eyes they both shared. Otherwise, that was it. She couldn't see his face, his smile, she couldn't even recall the sound of his voice... it had been too long.

"... that's a shame."

Miku looked over to Len for a second. His gaze had softened, his eyes gleaming in the bright white moonlight. He adorned this breath taking smile, a genuine smile, one she hadn't seen on a man for so long since _that _happened. And, for some reason, something strange happened. She felt all fuzzy on the inside, and a little weak in the knees.

_Wait a minute. WHAT?_

She... she felt something? Miku's eyes went wide, and a wild blush crept up to her cheeks. She reached up to her face, fingers gently pressing against the warming skin as the color continued to rise. Her eyes were now trailed to the ground by her feet, unable to look the blonde boy in the eyes, afraid she would see her reddened face. But... what was all this? Why did she feel all those emotions at the same time? Just... why?

A slight chuckle bubbled from Len's throat as he watched the girl's reactions. For once, he could tell they were genuine. But how come? He would have to ask her later. For now, he wanted to walk her home since it was getting to be late.

"We should get going, Miku. It's late," he said after he had stopped his laugh.

The tealette nodded furiously. "Agreed, let's go."

...

Thirty minutes later, they were both standing at her doorstep. For some reason, these emotions she had started feeling were still there, and she was flustered about all of them. It felt so new, yet familiar, like she had been reunited with a long lost friend of hers or something. Still, it was a little unsettling for her. She felt all of those things wash over her at once; stress, happiness, excitement, worry, nervousness. the entire package just crashed upon her like a tidal wave. It was quite something. And she was now standing before him, Len Kagamine, with a reddened face and a speech pattern most unlike her monotone and disinterested usual tone.

"W-well, um... I guess this is g-good bye... f-for now?" she asked.

What? She was stuttering? This couldn't be happening. Great, just great. She mentally slapped herself. And that was the best thing she could come up with? She could have at least asked if he would've liked to see her tomorrow morning! But no, her unusual thought pattern had been altered, too, making her think weirdly of this entire situation. Some also... disturbing thoughts came and plagued her mind for a few seconds, but she managed to push them all into the back of her head.

"Yeah, I guess," he answered, smiling at her.

She was sure this was what it felt like for a girl whose heart had stopped beating for a moment.

"Bye then, Miku."

He turned on his heel and started walking away, leaving behind him an unbelievably flustered teal headed immortal. Her cerulean eyes caught a glimpse of his baby blues as he cast one last glance her way. Something snapped inside her head.

"Len, wait!" she said a little loudly.

"Hmm?" he hummed in response.

The girl ran down the five steps to her door and up to the boy. She grabbed his arm and pulled him down, planting a sweet, soft kiss on his cheek before letting go, blushing madly at her sudden urge and act of boldness.

"Um... thank you for tonight... I-I had a great time," she said, turning around immediately and running to her door, storming inside without leaving the boy any time to answer.

Shocked, he awkwardly stood there for a moment, bringing his hand up to his cheek for a moment, his fingers touching the spot where her soft lips had touched his skin. The feeling of the small kiss still lingered, as if his nerves were trying to imprint the softness of their touch onto his cheek. It had been such a bold move on her behalf, yet he couldn't figure out why she had done it. Still, a smile crept onto his lips as he buried his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, turning on his heel and walking away silently, heading home.

_She kissed me, _he thought.

and that was the only thing on his mind as he made his way back to the house he shared with his father and twin sister, a small, rare and genuine smile gracing his thin lips as his blue eyes glistened in happiness.

...

**Hey you guys! :D**

**I'm so happy! This is the farthest I've EVER gotten in writing a fanfiction before. xD I've never gotten anywhere past the two chapters mark! this is a first, and I'm happy you guys are reading it. :)**

**So, Miku & Len's date went well. And what do you know, Miku felt something! Not pretend feeling, she actually DID FEEL SOMETHING! Could this mean...? And then... ZHERE VAS A KISS! 8D /shot**

**Oh well. I hope you guys like it. I had one hour to write it, and I don't know if it's good or not... help ;-; please do tell me if you liked it and why in a review if you feel like it you guys :D**

**_awesome dt_******** I have thought of this for a while, and I'm thinking of actually introducing Miku to the Vocaloids in the next chapter. It should be quite the show... Mostly since I have a few tricks up my sleeve concerning their personalities and all. I know most people have their own interpretations of their character and all, but I think you and the other readers might like the next chapter. :D**

**Also a big thank you to all you guys who have decided to read, favourite and/or follow this story! It means so much to me you guys, you have no idea just how much it does ;-; LOVE Y'ALL TO BITS **

**~Azuha**


	6. Chapter 5: The Vocaloids

_No emotions, just a void._

Ever since that night, she hadn't felt a thing. Occasionally, when she was in Len's company, she would feel the occasional flutter or fuzziness in her chest. A small, genuine smile would manage to creep onto her face as she would talk to him. It was something. But, it was never enough to say that she actually did _feel_ something. Nonetheless, she and Len had become much closer in the last few months. Their relationship had taken a step to the better, and she could only acknowledge that she should be grateful for it. Her cerulean eyes still didn't glow with that specific light Len longed to see shine in them, and this made him hesitate. To ask, or not? Maybe he should wait... Yeah, that'd be best.

At the moment, he was sitting on his bed, Xbox controller in hand, playing a new game that was released not too long ago. It was something he had become addicted to, not only because of the amazing graphics, but also because of the interesting concept and storyline of it. Of course, he loved his videogames, but he loved none more than Assassin's Creed, Black Flag. Oh, did he love it! The only times he would lay the controller back down in its spot was when he had school or when he would go to see Miku, either at her house or at the coffee shop. Speaking of which, he had to get dressed... he couldn't go find Miku in his pajamas!

Ah, yes. Did I mention that Len had offered to Miku to meet the other members of the Vocaloids? Oh, silly me, I forgot! Well, it is also quite simple actually. The other Vocaloids heard from someone that Len had gone on a date, and they almost immediately pounced on him when he came back the next day, asking for details. Who was this date of his? Was this person nice? Did it go well? All the general stuff awesome friends ask you about when they learned you've gone out with another person the night before. Of course, Len answered all their questions. That's when the real madness began. They all began pressuring Len to introduce her to them, and, well, that led to today. It was finally time, and the group couldn't be any more excited; their youngest member finally got a date!

A soft sigh escaped Len's lips as he finished dressing up. He then bolted down stairs and skipped on his breakfast. It was 11:00, after all, and he wasn't hungry, anyways. Grabbing his phone, he plugged his music in and rushed out of the house. He had agreed with the tealette that he would meet her at her house at lunch, and that he would walk there since they happened to live not too far away from each other.

Len walked down the busy streets of New York quite rapidly, not even stopping to admire springtime's beauty. It was truly a sight to see; the leaves merely starting to grow upon the branches left naked by winter's passing, the grass turning from its unusual yellow color and dry texture to its normal ones. But that wasn't what Len was focused on right now. He was focused on Miku.

The boy knew he loved her. It had been obvious he had a soft spot for the tealette ever since he had first seen her. Now that this 'thing' had grown into a real 'crush' on the girl, he knew it was no use to lie to himself, and he knew that the sooner he'd accept it, the sooner he'd be able to tell her. It was, somehow, and advantage, but a disadvantage at the same time. He was also trying to imagine how his friends would react upon seeing Miku's emotionlessness for themselves. I mean, I could explain to them over and over again that this girl couldn't really express anything, but they didn't believe him one bit. Oh well, what do you want. You can always count on Gakupo to believe the opposite of what you're saying.

The boy turned on a few streets and avenues before finally making it to Miku's house. Once there, he walked up the five steps leading to her front door and knocked softly. He could hear the shuffling of feet on the other side of the door as someone came rushing to answer, and when the door opened, he was greeted by none other than his favourite teal headed girl. He smiled down at her.

"Morning, Miku. You ready?" he said.

A small smile crept onto the girl's usually stoic face. "Ready as I'll ever be, Len."

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

"No sake?"

"Nope."

"No ice cream?"

"Why would I have ice cream?"

"No idea. Anyways, we're going to be okay... unless we let Meiko get to a bottle of sake, or if Kaito manages to empty a tub of ice cream. If one of those happen, we're screwed."

"And if both happen?"

"... then we die. Whatever now, let's go! I bet they're dying to meet you."

Len stepped up to the double oaken doors to the mansion, Miku in tow, and knocked three times. It took a few minutes, but soon, the doors opened to reveal none other than their close friend, Meiko. She smiled at the two young ones.

"Oh, hey Len, hey Miku! You're just in time, we were just starting to make lunch!"

"That's great!" Len replied cheerfully.

The brunette stepped aside, and Len took Miku's hand in his, pulling her inside the huge house. It looked more like a castle on the inside, with all the decoration and all, but it was beautiful. It was a mystery to her how they could afford such a place, but she wasn't as rude as to ask about that. Instead, she simply tried to take in as much details as possible... which was growing increasingly difficult since Len was still tugging her along by the hand. She didn't complain though; instead, she turned red from head to toe, and a small smile crept to her face. Meiko noticed this from the corner of her eye, and she couldn't help but laugh internally at her friend. _She finally found someone. That's good_, she thought.

"I just LOVE your hair! What's your secret for making them grow so long?"

"That is a beautiful color! Is it natural?"

"You're so pretty!"

"Guys-"

"How's life?"

"Are you Len's girlfriend?"

"Huh?"

"GUYS!"

All the others shut up and stood there, stunned, as the blonde boy took Miku's hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze, glaring at them all. They were all surprised at the boy's sudden outburst, his usually calm and shy demeanor seemingly vanishing instantly.

"I told you she wasn't used to this! Geez!"

"Well _sorry _for being interested about your girlfriend!"

"She ISN'T my girlfriend!" he said, flustered.

"Aww, look everyone, Len's blushing!"

"I AM NOT!"

Miku simply stood there awkwardly, staring at them all with her bright cerulean eyes as they were bickering amongst each other. She seemed a bit fearful, but then again, who wouldn't be? I mean, Len's friends were one of the liveliest and weirdest bunches in, most likely, the entire UNIVERSE. With Meiko and her boyfriend Kaito around, there was no chance that this title didn't concern them. But then, she had met Gakupo, a purple haired male, who seemed to be quite the flirt. She also met Gumi and Luka, two polar opposites; the first being the more joyful of the two, and the second being a very calm being. Although she did start to fangirl about Miku's hair when she had stepped in the large living room. Then, there was Rin, who introduced herself as Len's twin sister and-

_Wait a minute..._

**TWIN!?**

"Yeah," she said, "You didn't know?"

The blonde girl shot a death glare in Len's direction. He just lifted his hands up in a _I-didn't-do-it _way, and laughed nervously.

"Yeeaaaahhhh... about that..." he began, but never finished, since he ran off to who knows where, Rin chasing after him while yelling a colourful string of curses at the boy.

A small giggle escaped Miku's lips as she watched them leave the room, her blue eyes twinkling in happiness. She was happy that Len trusted her enough to let her meet his 'family' as he had put it all those months ago, on their first 'date', although he still refused to admit it was one. The tealette's cheeks turned red, though, when she noticed that all the other Vocaloids' eyes were fixated on her.

"... I-is there a problem, guys?" she asked shyly, feeling a little bit nervous all of a sudden.

They simply stared her down from the top of her head to the tip of her toes, as if examining her. Meiko stepped towards her awkwardly, and placed a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder. Miku was starting to panic on the inside.

"... Meiko, what's going on?"

No response.

They still didn't move. Until the one with pink hair, Luka, walked up to her and flashed her a small smile.

"We know what you are, Miku. That's why we asked you here in the first place."

The tealette was shocked.

"... You know what I am...?"

"You're an Eternal," Gakupo, the purple haired male, answered, "We've known since the very beginning, since Len first started talking about you."

"Meiko also mentioned a few things about you," Kaito added.

Miku stayed silent for a while. If it was obvious to them, then why wasn't it for Len?

"Len is a bit too naïve for his own good," Gumi said, as if she had read the teal-headed girl's mind. "He doesn't understand a lot of things. He doesn't even know that one of us, too, is an Eternal, just like you. He never saw it, and he probably won't notice until a few years go by."

_Wait a minute -take two-. _

**ANOTHER ETERNAL?!**

"How...?"

"He was transformed a few years back. Some fake fortune teller or something who goes by the name of Azuha," Meiko said.

What? That was name that rung a bell inside the immortal's head. It seemed to have been so long since she had last heard, or spoken such a name. She remembered that person who had taken her heart, all those decades ago. Long, flowing purple hair with bright teal streaks here and there. Eyes as red as rubies, grin imprinted with such malice that none would ever want to see it again. Yeah... that was her. Azuha the Dark, as they used to call her back in the time.

"No... she can't be alive... Azuha died, she was human! I killed her myself!"

Miku remembered the gushing blood, the non-beating heart that rested in her hand as the red liquid trickled down her blood-covered arm, dripping on her clothes, staining them in the precious life substance that should have been running through the witch's veins. That heart she had torn out Azuha's chest, it shouldn't be back in place, pulsating, keeping that twisted woman alive.

"How can she be still alive!? I tore her heart out..."

"Did you burn it?"

"Huh?"

"Did you burn the witch's heart?"

"... not that I remember..."

"Then it's normal that she came back. A witch's heart must be burned if you don't want her to come back."

The tealette stayed silent for a while... that is, until she lifted her eyes to look at the people surrounding her. She saw that Rin and Len weren't back yet, but there was a new figure standing among them. The girl's eyes widened, shock written all over her face as she felt her knees grow weak in fear and surprise. Her breath hitched and, in a whisper, she managed to choke out one single word.

"... Piko?"

The new comer nodded, a small smile sketched upon his lips. Miku knew it was a fake smile, she had been through the process of faking emotion and all these things. But right now, all of this was completely destroying her reality.

"Heh... I didn't think you would have recognized me after centuries. Long time no see, eh?"

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

**Hey guys!**

**CLIFFHANGER! I love cliffhangers. xD **

**Len is a very naïve kid. Sorry about that. He can't even tell if one is an Eternal or not! Probably just didn't take the time to notice these things. And HOW THE HELL DOES MIKU KNOW PIKO, AND VICE-VERSA? When and where did they meet? And why the hell is Azuha the Dark still alive?! **

**...**

**You will find out... soon. xD Sorry guys, but I love to leave you on stuff like this. It makes things more exciting, you know? I mean, it's really cool, because then people want to continue reading and all this and that and review the story and OHMAHGOD I can't take it anymore xD**

**Anyways. I love you guys just as much as always! **

**~Azuha**


	7. Chapter 6: Memories & Jealousy

_Silence._

It was so quiet that it was becoming deafening. No one dared move nor speak, not even swallow. If there had been a fly in the room somewhere, the Vocaloids and their guest would've heard it clearly. But no. There was nothing but pure silence... and the occasional scream coming from upstairs, either coming from Rin or Len.

"... Piko?" Miku said again.

She was frozen in shock, unable to move a muscle, not even to take a step towards the boy. He was the one to walk to her, stopping at arms' length away from her body, unsure of how she would react to his presence.

"The one and only."

Miku's breath hitched in her throat, and she felt her hands start to shake lightly. Her eyes filled with bitter tears, blurring her vision as she stretched her arm out, cupping the white haired boy's cheek in her hand softly, stroking his cheek bone as if to assure herself that he was really there.

"But... how...?" she said, her voice cracking. "How can you still be alive...?"

... ... ... ...

_A sigh escaped the doctor's lips as he put away his stethoscope into the leather bag he had brought along. He got up from the side of the bed where his patient lay, and soudlessly walked to the door that led outside the room. When he exited the bedroom, he closed the door behind himself and turned to face a young girl, maybe of eighteen years of age. He looked down to her and shook his head sadly._

_"His illness has gotten worse."_

_The girl sighed. The doctor knew that she was trying to hide her tears. Even after all his years of practice in the domain of medicine, the man still couldn't bear to announce such things to his patients' loved ones. He settled his gaze on the woman's face, his expression neutral._

_"I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am, but it seems that his condition has gotten much worse than I thought. His body is too weak to support the healing process that treatment would commence for him. I honestly do not think he has much time left... maybe one or two days at most."_

_He sighed, and the girl crossed her arms on her chest, refusing to move._

_"My sincere appologies, Miss Hatsune."_

_She simply nodded, and the doctor took his leave. The echoes of his clean shoes bounced off the walls of the hallway in which she stood, right in front of the bedroom where he lies. She couldn't take it anymore, and she sat against the opposite wall, bringing her knees up against herself and wrapping her arms around her legs. Tears ran down her cheeks. It was so much to take in at once._

_Three months before, he had been diagnosed with a serious illness. the Hatsune female had made every doctor in the newly built city come to his aid, yet the results were always the same; they didn't know what he had caught. To make things worse, within a few weeks, he had become so weak that he couldn't walk by himself anymore. He needed help with everything. Of course, she had obliged and acquiesced to all of his requests. But then, his illness had taken a toll on his body, and soon he found himself unable to get out of bed. Even though the doctors had come by every week to check on his health, it was obvious that he was getting worse. And that led to this precise moment, when the last doctor had given him less than a week to live, not even three days. Like the two others before him. _

_Quietly, the young woman had gotten to her feet and dusted off her beautiful dress. She wiped her tears with her sleeve and took a shaky step towards the door, that she opened soundlessly, and walked into the bedroom. In the bed that had been placed below the high windowsill he lied, his chest rising and falling as he breathed. It seemed to be difficult to do so. Not that she would blame him, it had been so long since he had become sick in the first place..._

_"Piko..." she whispered as she sat on the edge of the bed. _

_The man didn't move a muscle. He was asleep, she thought, his eyes being closed. She took a moment to take in his appearance. In those few months where the illness had started to affect him, Piko had started out as a sturdy young man. He was pretty lean and thin for a boy his age, yet he was quite strong, both mentally and physically. He was the one who was always as healthy as a horse, cheerful and caring. But now that he was ill, he wasn't the same. Sure, he was still the cheerful and caring young man the girl had fallen for, yet he had changed so much. She couldn't recall the last time she had seen him smile to her, the last time he had hugged her. He was too weak to even blink, almost. _

_"How I wish this stupid illness hadn't been yours in the first place..." she thought bitterly as her hand found his, and she entertwined their fingers together. _

_She reached to the basin that rested on the bedside table, taking hold of the cloth that bathed in the cool water before wringing out the excess liquid. She then carefully dabbed it across Piko's face, his neck, then down his arms and across his chest. There was a saddened glow in her eyes as tears leaked out again, and the Hatsune girl cupped his cheek in her palm tenderly, stroking his skin with her thumb. She then placed a sweet kiss on his forehead._

_"Please be strong... I pray you get better."_

_She then dipped the cloth back into the water, wrung it out once more, and placed it on his forehead to keep him from burning up again. She was about to get up to leave when she felt a slight pressure around her wrist. Her gaze shifted to see that Piko had grabbed her hand._

_"M-Miku... Please, d-don't leave..."_

_The girl looked down to the boy's face, seeing his eyes looking at her with a pained glow in them. He was struggling to breathe, that much was obvious. He was sweating like people would in a horrible heatwave, and his skin was so hot that the girl almost thought he was going to burst into flames. Not that that would happen. Miku settled back onto the dark sheets of the bed, and gave Piko's hand a squeeze._

_"I'm not going anywhere," she whispered, trying to smile._

_He reached up to her face and cupped her cheek, his hand shaking lightly against her skin, and he wiped her tears away gently._

_"Hey... don't be... so sad, okay...?"_

_The girl sniffed, then nuzzled closer into his touch. She liked the warmth of it, the way it felt so loving and careful, even in sickness. But she couldn't bring herself to answer him, not in the state of mind she was in now. She just couldn't._

_"M-Miku, look at me..."_

_Her gaze settled upon the boy's face, his eyes gleaming in a loving way as he did the same to her. At that moment, she felt like the man she had fallen for had returned to her, like somekind of miracle. But that small moment of joy was short-lived._

_"I-I know. I know that I won't be... here much longer..."_

_Immediately, her tears began pouring again. So he knew..._

_"... and that is why I-I wanted to give you... this."_

_He told her to close her eyes, and she did. Something slid around her finger, and she felt Piko poke her cheek in an attempt to make her open her eyes. And when she did... she was taken by surprise, to say the least._

_There was a beautiful golden ring decorated with three sky blue topazes on it. They glimmered like water would in the presence of the sunlight, and reflected the light so nicely that they seemed to be surrounded by a __colorful aura. A bright, sickly smile drew itself across Piko's lips, and he lifted her hand to his lips to place a gentle kiss in the middle of her palm._

_"That... that was supposed to be the ring I placed upon your finger the day we were to marry..." he told her. "But I guess that day will never come... so I give it to you now."_

_Unable to hold it in anymore, Miku leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, careful not to hurt Piko in the process, and burried her face in his shirt. Quiet, muffled sobs escaped her lips as she cried against him, and he envelopped her into his arms, calmly petting her hair to try and soothe her. But doing that simple action had started draining the last bits of his energy away, and he felt the darkness calling him._

_"You can't say that... don't say that! You're going to get through this, I'll be there with you...! Please... don't say that..." she cried._

_A soft smile painted itself on Piko's face as she cried into the fabric of his nightshirt, and she held her tighter against himself. He didn't want all this, all they had, to end this way, yet it seemed impossible to make it end some other way at the moment. The call of darkness had become too strong for him, and his eyelids had started to droop as he felt his heartbeat slow down._

_"I-It's going to be okay... Miku... promise me you... will... take care of yourself..."_

_"It won't be okay...! Don't say things like that...!"_

_He sighed._

_"Just... promise me...!"_

_The girl looked up to his face, seeing his gentle smile and loving gaze settled on her. She had this feeling... it was almost as if he wanted her to let go. To let go of... him._

_"I... I promise..."_

_"Good..." he stated simply._

_His eyes closed and he drew in a few more breaths, each one more difficult to take than the other. He was struggling to stay a little longer by her side. His hand found hers and gaze it a loving squeeze, before his eyes opened once more, blue and green orbs staring tenderly at the girl he was about to leave behind... unwillingly._

_"I-I love you... Miku..."_

_Her breath hitched as she saw his eyes close once more. She pressed a sweet kiss to his pale lips, causing a weak smile to stretch them once again, as she whispered back;_

_"I love you too... always..."_

_That had been the last thing he had heard before his entire world faded to darkness._

_... ... ... ..._

The memories flooded through Miku's mind like water in a waterfall. She still could see him, and as soon as the memories faded, she knew she was facing _him._ The same Piko that had died right before her eyes centuries past. The very same person who had given her the topaz ring she wore on her finger right now.

"Oh my God..."

That came out as a mumble, her eyes wide in both confusion and extreme surprise. Although she tried her best, she couldn't understand what was going on. Was this just somekind of twisted joke someone had pulled on her, only to torment an already broken spirit? Or was it payback for her not being able to save the man she had loved all these years ago? She was so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed all the others had left the room, and she had been left alone with the white-headed boy, who looked at her curiously with those same eyes she had come to love in the past. Miku took a step back, away from the boy.

"... how?"

He shrugged.

"I myself do not know. The others blame it on the one you probably know as Azuha the Dark," he answered.

Miku frowned.

"But... Azuha can't bring back the dead... she needs the person's consent to cast a spell on them..."

She shook her head. It was unbelievable. Piko was still alive, and he was standing right in front of her. A large smile crept up on her face as tears of joy started to trickle down her cheeks as she nearly threw herself at the boy, engulfing him in her arms, laughing. It was the first time in years that she had ever felt this; relief, as if a enormous weight had been lifted off her shoulders, as if the world she carried on her back had become much lighter. She felt him wrap her arms around her, and he burried his nose in her hair. She could hear his laugh that mingled with hers, the same laugh she had loved to hear back in the day. And, for the first time in a very long time, she finally felt safe, right there in his arms.

"I missed you so much, Piko... you have no idea..." she cried softly.

"I missed you too... so much more than you can think of..."

Of course, the two hadn't noticed that, besides the others being gone, Rin and Len had finally returned from their little chasing game. Upon coming into the living room, Rin yelled;

"Hey! Where'd everyone g- Oh..." her tone softened in shock on that last part.

That's when Len came in and stood by his twin sister, eyes wide. Why were Miku and Piko hugging each other...? His eye twitched slighly, yet he stayed silent as Rin cleared her throat to let the two know they were here. Piko and Miku gave a slight jump when they heard her, it was like they thought they were alone or something. Len huffed quietly under his breath and looked away, trying his best not to let anything show in his expression. Rin invited Miku and Piko to follow them, saying that "lunch would be ready really soon" and that she was "starving", as they all were. Then she pulled Len behind her as the two others followed, and the female Kagamine gave her brother a knowing smirk, to which Len responded by shoving his elbow in her ribs, making the girl whine. Oh yeah.

_Len Kagamine was jealous._

**... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...**

**Once again, CLIFFHANGER!**

**WOOT WOOT o/**

**... sorry. I just had to. xD**

**I hope you like this one, I've been working really hard to find a way to include Piko into this and find a way to make him know Miku, and vice-versa. And yes, little Len-kun is JEALOUS! **

**Please review, I like getting your thoughts on this story you guys!**

**LOVE Y'ALL LIKE ALWAYS! **

**~Azuha**


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